Sanders Constr. Co. v. SAN JOAQUIN FIRST FED. SAV

136 Cal. App. 3d 387, 186 Cal. Rptr. 218
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 7, 1982
Docket5186
StatusPublished

This text of 136 Cal. App. 3d 387 (Sanders Constr. Co. v. SAN JOAQUIN FIRST FED. SAV) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sanders Constr. Co. v. SAN JOAQUIN FIRST FED. SAV, 136 Cal. App. 3d 387, 186 Cal. Rptr. 218 (Cal. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

136 Cal.App.3d 387 (1982)
186 Cal. Rptr. 218

SANDERS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC., Plaintiff, Cross-defendant and Respondent,
v.
SAN JOAQUIN FIRST FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION, Defendant, Cross-complainant and Appellant; ART SANDERS, Cross-defendant and Respondent.

Docket No. 5186.

Court of Appeals of California, Fifth District.

October 7, 1982.

*390 COUNSEL

Freeman, Rishwain, Hall & Spatola, Freeman, Rishwain, Hall, Spatola & Shore, Maxwell M. Freeman and Charles R. Spatola, Jr., for Defendant, Cross-complainant and Appellant.

Stockton & Schrimp and Cleveland J. Stockton for Plaintiff, Cross-defendant and Respondent and for Cross-defendant and Respondent.

*391 OPINION

ANDREEN, J.

Respondent Sanders Construction Company, Inc. (Sanders Construction) and appellant San Joaquin First Federal Savings and Loan Association (S&L) entered into an agreement providing for the construction of a building on land belonging to Sanders Construction and the leasing of the major portion of same to S&L.

S&L appeals from a judgment against it for damages and against it on its cross-complaint against Sanders Construction.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Sanders Construction owned an unimproved lot in Modesto upon which S&L wanted to build a branch office. The presidents of the two corporations, Art Sanders of Sanders Construction and Bill Chapman of S&L, negotiated in late 1976 and early 1977 for a lease arrangement under which Sanders Construction would construct a building on its property for occupancy by S&L. During these discussions the parties agreed upon the description of the premises, the terms, the rental amount, the building costs, and that appellant's architect would design the building.

Further facts will be developed as required.

MUTUAL ASSENT

The agreement went through the usual changes and revisions. After execution by S&L, Sanders Construction suggested certain revisions. These were prepared by the attorney for S&L in the form of corrected pages to be inserted into the original lease. The court found, and substantial evidence sustains such a finding, that Sanders Construction inserted the corrected pages in the agreement, executed same, and sent an executed copy to S&L.

The agreement as executed provided that the building would be constructed in accordance with plans and specifications to be set forth and to be attached as "Exhibit C." At the time the agreement was executed, both parties knew Exhibit C did not exist because the architect had not finished the plans and specifications.

The agreement provided for S&L to have full architectural control: "Landlord shall construct a building on the premises according to plans and specifications which Tenant has caused to be prepared and which are *392 approved by Landlord, a copy of which plans and specifications are attached as Exhibit C...." The lease agreement also provided, "Tenant shall retain architectural control of the total development...."

(1) It is argued by S&L that Sanders Construction never approved of the plans, and in fact criticized them and modified them as to the portion of the building which Sanders retained for leasing out to third parties. Therefore there was no mutual assent and no contract.

S&L relies upon Robinson & Wilson, Inc. v. Stone (1973) 35 Cal. App.3d 396 [110 Cal. Rptr. 675]. A contractor and the owner entered into a construction contract. Part of the building was to be left vacant so that it could be finished in accordance with the wishes of tenants which the owner expected to secure in the future. Because the bank financing the scheme objected to the unfinished space, the parties amended the proposed contract to include a provision providing for a certain sum to complete the space in accordance with plans and specifications to be prepared by owner's architect in the future. It provided, in part: "`The Contractor will furnish all necessary labor and materials to complete and finish the said areas generally with the materials and to the standards fixed in the plans and specifications presently in existence for the other areas of the building and specifically may be required by the said tenant's architect and will, accordingly, furnish, construct, and install the following items: ...'" (At pp. 400-401.)

Predictably, the plans as furnished resulted in cost estimates far in excess of the amount originally specified.

A dispute as to responsibility for the excess cost resulted in legal action. The trial court found for the owner and against the contractor for the reasonable cost of certain additions. This judgment was reversed on appeal. The appellate panel found that the amendment lacked certainty. The trial court's finding that the agreement called for "standard" or "minimal" medical suites was supported by substantial evidence, but those words were deemed so indefinite and uncertain that there was no meeting of the minds. Also, as interpreted by the trial court, the amendment obligated the contractor to complete the undesigned area for a guaranteed maximum contract price plus the reasonable value of any "extra" work required by tenants. There was no evidence of how such value was to be determined — on cost plus or other basis — or who was to pay for the extras. As to the "extras," the amendment was a promise to agree in the future. (Id., at pp. 407-409.)

*393 The appellate panel distinguished Bohman v. Berg (1960) 54 Cal.2d 787 [8 Cal. Rptr. 441, 356 P.2d 185] on several grounds, including that performance of an uncertain contract without objection shows the intentions of the parties. Also distinguished were Mason v. Ennes (1959) 172 Cal. App.2d 99 [342 P.2d 79] and Bettancourt v. Gilroy Theatre Co., Inc. (1953) 120 Cal. App.2d 364 [261 P.2d 351], because in both "cost was not an element of the covenant...." (Robinson & Wilson, Inc. v. Stone, supra, 35 Cal. App.3d at p. 411.)

The case at bar is distinguishable from the Robinson & Wilson case. The architect, as agent for S&L, submitted plans to Sanders Construction which then made its cost estimate for the major part of the building based on these plans. The part of the building which was to be leased out by Sanders Construction to another tenant was modified by an architect engaged by Sanders Construction to cut costs in that part and to conform to the prospective lessee's desires. No substantial change was made to the exterior, save the incidental one of eliminating a couple of planters. Although S&L did not learn of this modification until trial, the modification was inconsequential because of its insignificant impact on the space leased to appellant.

In Robinson & Wilson, the contract was to finish interiors to build suites for unknown physicians with unknown needs. In the case at bench the needs of the S&L were known and its needs were met by plans submitted by its architect. Sanders Construction accepted the fact that S&L had architectural control, and made cost estimates on the plans in accordance therewith. The fact that Art Sanders thought that the structure was overdesigned does not militate against the fact that Sanders was willing to go ahead with construction.

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Related

Mason v. Ennes
342 P.2d 79 (California Court of Appeal, 1959)
D. L. Godbey & Sons Construction Co. v. Deane
246 P.2d 946 (California Supreme Court, 1952)
Raedeke v. Gibraltar Savings & Loan Ass'n
517 P.2d 1157 (California Supreme Court, 1974)
Bettancourt v. Gilroy Theatre Co., Inc.
261 P.2d 351 (California Court of Appeal, 1953)
Hahn v. Hahn
266 P.2d 519 (California Court of Appeal, 1954)
Bohman v. Berg
356 P.2d 185 (California Supreme Court, 1960)
Robinson & Wilson, Inc. v. Stone
35 Cal. App. 3d 396 (California Court of Appeal, 1973)
Coldwell Banker & Co. v. Pepper Tree Office Center Associates
106 Cal. App. 3d 272 (California Court of Appeal, 1980)
S. Jon Kreedman v. MEYERS BROS. PARKING-WESTERN
58 Cal. App. 3d 173 (California Court of Appeal, 1976)
Sholar v. Barker
211 Cal. App. 2d 31 (California Court of Appeal, 1962)
People v. McCaughan
317 P.2d 974 (California Supreme Court, 1957)
People v. Harrison
123 P. 200 (California Court of Appeal, 1912)
Sanders Construction Co. v. San Joaquin First Federal Savings & Loan Ass'n
136 Cal. App. 3d 387 (California Court of Appeal, 1982)
O'Brien v. Illinois Surety Co.
203 F. 436 (Sixth Circuit, 1913)
King Lumber Co. v. National Bank of Summers
286 F. 906 (Fourth Circuit, 1923)

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Bluebook (online)
136 Cal. App. 3d 387, 186 Cal. Rptr. 218, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sanders-constr-co-v-san-joaquin-first-fed-sav-calctapp-1982.